Latest in The Wizard of Oz

As a nine-time Grammy winner with 30 noms, Mary J. Blige certainly didn't need to pursue a career in acting. But, as she says, it was "something I've always wanted to do”.
As the Wicked Witch of the West, Evillene, in The Wiz Live! Blige not only stunned viewers with her performance of the much-loved song 'Don't…

UPDATED, 10:35 AM: Three LA-area men have been arrested and a local woman has agreed to surrender in a scheme to defraud hundreds of people who invested in a company called Gigapix Studios that claimed to be producing a 3D animated version of The Wizard Of Oz. A federal grand jury handed down a 36-count indictment on…

Even though the theme of the upcoming Academy Awards is heroes, you knew that Oscarcast producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron weren’t going to limit this to spandex-clad superheroes and Gladiator‘s Maximus. So Zadan and Meron, best known for the musicals Chicago, Hairspray and most recently the TV ratings blockbuster Th…

The last surviving female Munchkin from the 1939 classic The Wizard Of Oz died Thursday at a Las Vegas hospice after a brief illness. Ruth Robinson Duccini was 95. Her death was confirmed by longtime friend Stephen Cox, author of The Munchkins Of Oz. Duccini’s only other acting gig after her uncredited role in Oz was…

There's some legal action down that Yellow Brick Road. Just in time for the upcoming 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, Warner Bros were sued Wednesday by the estate of the Emmy winning late son of the actor who played the Tin Man in the movie. At dispute in the breach of fiduciary duties action (read it here)…

The Yellow Brick Road will run through the Golden Arches. Warner Bros said today it will spend about $25 million on its comprehensive campaign for the 75th anniversary of the iconic 1939 film and that McDonald's will lead the charge. For three weeks starting September 20, the fast-food behemoth will offer The Wizard Of…

EXCLUSIVE: A century after the release of L. Frank Baum’s Wizard Of Oz series, the books have become the toast of this TV development season. NBC just nabbed Emerald City, an Oz-themed drama from Siberia creator/showrunner Matthew Arnold. Two weeks ago, CBS put in developmentDorothy, a medical soap inspired by the…

The producers who brought Sherlock Holmes to New York for CBS, are doing the same with some other classic literary characters. CBS has put in developmentDorothy, a drama project from Elementary executive producers Carl Beverly and Sarah Timberman. The project, from CBS TV Studios where Timberman/Beverly Prods. is…

One of the last surviving Munchkins from The Wizard Of Oz has died. Margaret Pellegrini, who as a 15-year-old played the flowerpot Munchkin (right) and one of the “sleepyhead” kids in the 1939 classic, died Monday of a stroke at her home in Phoenix. She was 89. Pelligrini continued to take part in Oz-related events…

The Technicolor classic will have its IMAX3D world premiere on September 15 at Hollywood’s historic Chinese Theatre, the same movie house it first debuted in 75 years ago. The special screening will mark the reopening of the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX, which boasts the largest number of seats in an IMAX auditorium in…

The Wizard Of Oz is getting a major brand revitalization this fall. The Technicolor classic will return to screens on September 20 for an exclusive one-week IMAX 3D engagement commemorating its 75th anniversary, with dozens of promotional partnerships bringing the Oz brand to apparel, jewelry, collectibles…

SUNDAY AM, 6TH UPDATE: Disney‘s 3D wizardry Oz The Great And Powerful was magic for the U.S. and Canadian box office just like advance tracking showed it would be. Little wonder that the studio has gone into development of a first sequel and expects this new franchise to spin off not just films but mucho…